Tumour removed from a panther at Hyderabad zoo

Hyderabad, Feb 5 (Maxim News): Preethi, the 14-year-old panther at the Nehru Zoological Park has undergone a rare surgery to remove a tumour that was growing in her mammary gland.

The zoo veterinary staff said the complex surgery was carried out on Friday and the big cat was on path of recovery. “Preethi is under observation and is showing signs of speedy recovery,” said M. A. Hakeem, Assistant Director, Nehru Zoological Park.

According to the zoo officials, the tumour was found at lower posterior part of mammary gland and after keeping the panther under observation for last two months, the decision to go ahead with the surgery was taken. “In a procedure that lasted more than two hours, the tumour weighing almost 200 gms was removed,” he said.

Dr.Hakeem, who led the surgery team, remarked that tumour of any kind was not common the wild cat and rarely reported in the zoo here. It was a routine examination carried out on animals at the zoo that the tumour growth was detected two months back prompting the staff to keep Preethi under special care.

The zoo authorities sent the tissues of the tumour that was removed from the panther to Veterinary Biological and Research Institute, Hyderabad for further analysis.(Maxim News)